School requires students to submit photos of dresses before attending dance

PEWAUKEE, WI. (KDVR) – A school district in Milwaukee is requiring all students and guests to submit photos of their attire before they can buy tickets to the high school's homecoming dance next month.

The policy is part of the Pewaukee School District’s dress code, which is aimed at keeping students from showing too much skin, the Journal Sentinel reported.

The rule has reportedly been in place since January 2015, but a reminder emailed to families last week has many parents and students pushing back.

Many say the requirement is micromanaging, body shaming and sexist.

“The girls are essentially being held responsible for the wayward thoughts (administrators) think boys have,” Rebecca Sheperd told the paper.

“They’re being told, ‘You are the problem,'” she was quoted as saying. “These are the roots of rape culture, frankly.”

The school’s superintendent, Mike Cady, told the paper the policy is not sexist and also includes guidelines for boys. For example, boys are not allowed to wear low-hanging pants.

“It’s really out of a sensitivity to our students,” Cady was quoted as saying. “We want (school dances) to be a positive experience. We don’t want anyone to show up and have to be sent home because of a dress-code violation.”

The dress code, like many other school districts, bans revealing clothes, such as: spaghetti straps, backless and/or one shoulder blouses that do not cover the midriff. It also requires shorts and skirts to extend below the mid-thigh.

However, even some parents who agree with the dress code say the pre-dance photo requirement is over the top.